Chef Daron Goldstein from Provender Kitchen + Bar is back in the 207 Kitchen at O'Maine Studios, and this time he's showing us how to turn pistachios into a creamy pasta sauce.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup shelled pistachios (about 180 grams or 6.3 oz.)
- 3 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- Start by skinning the pistachios if you want to obtain a green paste.
- Bring a pot with 1 quart of water to a boil.
- Once it starts to boil, add the pistachios to the water.
- Turn the water off the heat, and let the pistachios soak in the boiling water for 2 minutes.
- Drain the pistachios and rinse them briefly under the cold water.
- Line a baking sheet with a kitchen towel or with paper towels.
- Spread the pistachios on top of the towel, and rub them gently to help peel the skin.
- You might have to individually continue to peel the skins off the pistachios. This can take about 20 or 30 minutes.
- Discard the skins.
- Place the green pistachios in a food processor or blender.
- Process for a couple of minutes.
- Add one tablespoon of water at a time, processing in between, until you find a smooth consistency. Daron said 3 tablespoons did the trick, you might need less, or maybe a bit more.
- Add water just as necessary to obtain a smooth paste.
- Scrape it into a bowl and it’s ready to be used.
Storage
Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze in a zip-close bag or air-tight container for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Heavy cream can substitute the water for a creamier paste
- Adding spinach or baby arugula will help with a brighter green color
- We used stracciatella cheese but any creamy white cheese will work great on top of pasta.